Monday, June 20, 2011

This is a tough one

This is a tough one. For once I sympathize with state politicians on trying to decide what to do about allowing same-sex marriage into law. Before you climb on your soapbox and scream about how 'anybody' should be able to marry 'anybody,' please consider all the confusing and conflicting factors involved when you’re dealing with a state as important, and as large, as NYS. This isn’t Vermont. We all know what Vermont is. This law is easy in vermont. NYS is a leader of America, a leader of the world, with a population teetering on 20million. Yes, I think this is a very important vote, and how we handle it, will set in motion the way the rest of the country, and perhaps the world, will handle the issue.

If pressed I’d describe myself as liberal. But I only have two concrete political beliefs: 1) Let me hear what you have to say, regardless of party or affiliation, and 2) Sarah Palin is the biggest political lightweight in world history. With that said, what I have noticed is how every politician who’s questioned on the issue of same sex, has been very careful not to commit to the wrong wording, one way or the other, or even give a direct answer to reporters’ questions about it. Yes, this is a slippery slope, and they know it. There is a lot involved, with tax breaks, habitation laws, religious factors, which strikes me as funny, because I thought the foundation of this country was to separate the state from the church. Guess that baby went out with the same-sex bathwater. It's taken many turns, this same-sex debate we are now entangled in. And yes, the whole world is waiting to see what NY does. Can anyone say 'Hot Seat?'

The problem is NYS is such an eclectic population. If you asked people on Lark Street or SoHo if same-sex marriage should be passed into law, they’d ream you on the state staying out of people's personal business, how marriage isn't so sacred with a 50% divorce rate, how God, if there is one, would love all people anyway. Hell, they'd likely remind you that Michael Jackson got married. Sacred you say? I think not. But try asking a farmer in Franklin County, or correctional worker in Clinton County, or the AGWAY guy how they feel about this proposed law. Stereotype much? Maybe. But that's the rub with this one, isn't it? Different strokes for different folks.

Many state residents believe that the tail wags the dog in NYS, and that tail is everything below Westchester, that point brought up in this blog because many would agree that 'the City' is the most liberal area of our state, and why should they have the franchise on this proposal? Maybe. The easy thing to say is, ‘Who cares who marries who?’ That’s easy, but the truth is people care, and people have concrete views on this issue, against it in this case, and those views should be reflected by their reps. in government, right? Ignorant or not. What can I say: I don’t envy our state government on this one.

The same-sex rallies at City Halls and at the Capitol right here in Albany will continue, and the next few days will go far to shape the future of this state, and how marriage is looked at around here and beyond. This is a big deal. Is it Brown vs. Board of Ed.? Maybe. Is it Row vs. Wade? Could be. Either way, it’s not something that should be handled quickly, even in this climate of job loss and economic ruin. If there is no other way to get through this hot-button debate, why don’t we put the issue to a general vote? All registered in NYS allowed to cast for or against same-sex marriage.

Honestly, I would probably vote to allow it, but that doesn’t mean someone who would vote against it is wrong, because I know many people that would shoot this thing down like a scud missile. And that’s OK, we all have our beliefs. Some feel the bible is the book that rules their world, others believe the whole deal is right here on earth, so make your life as happy as ‘humanly’ possible, marriage laws be damned. How about this: If an open vote can’t work, whatever Sarah Palin is scripted to say (I mean Tweet or Facebook, since she's not encouraged to deal directly with the press) on this argument, let’s do the exact opposite, and call it a day. Yes sir, this is a tough one.